Milking apparatus and holder for receiving teat cups

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for milking livestock, which apparatus has a milking box; a milking robot disposed close to or in the milking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat cups which during use are arranged on an animal for milking by the milking robot, and a holder for such an apparatus. The holder has a guard, a carriage with an engaging mechanism for engaging the teat cups and with a displacer for displacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least the teat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by the carriage, and a second position, in which the teat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for milking livestock,comprising a milking box; a milking robot disposed close to or in themilking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat cups which duringuse are arranged on an animal for milking by the milking robot, and theinvention relates more particularly in such an apparatus to the holderfor receiving teat cups therein.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

Such an apparatus and holder are generally known.

A drawback of the prior art is that the holder for receiving teat cupsis stationary. A freedom of movement in a wide area is thereforerequired of the milking robot. This makes high demands of the choice ofdimensions, materials used and so on. In the known art the teat cups aremoreover subject to all sorts of harmful influences, such as theexcrement of the animals for milking, and the animals may kick againstthe teat cups if they become restless.

The invention has for its object to obviate the above stated drawbacksof the known art, for which purpose an apparatus for milking livestockand more particularly herein a holder for receiving teat cups aredistinguished in that the holder comprises: a guard; a carriage withengaging means for engaging the teat cups and with displacing means fordisplacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least theteat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by thecarriage, and a second position, in which the teat cups are released forremoval by the milking robot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention the teat cups can thus be retracted into thefirst position in which they are protected by the guard, so that theteat cups are not exposed to the above stated and other harmfulinfluences in a milking parlour. In the second position the chosen reachof the milking robot can further be smaller when the second position iscloser to the milking robot than the first position, which is preferablythe case.

In a first preferred embodiment an additional movement is provided,wherein the carriage is movable in the direction of the milking robot inthe second position or at least prior to reaching the second position.This is particularly advantageous when the first and the second positionare at least approximately the same distance from the milking robot, andwith this feature the teat cups can be carried closer to the milkingrobot so as to reduce the reach required of it. Such an additionalmovement can be realized in simple manner in that the carriage istiltable in or close to the second position. In such an embodiment theshape of the body of an animal for milking is of course also taken intoaccount, wherein the teat cups are for instance first displaced downwardin the carriage to the second position and are then swivelle in thedirection of the milking robot. In an arrangement where the milkingrobot and the holder are arranged opposite one another relative to ananimal for milking, the teat cups are thus tilted herein in thedirection of the udder of an animal for milking.

In another preferred embodiment, conduits running from the teat cupscomprise tensioning means for retracting the teat cups into the engagingmeans of the carriage when it is established that hardly any milk isrunning through the conduits. Such a situation may have differentcauses. The teat cup may have fallen off or been kicked off, or arelevant quarter of a cow for milking is empty. Since this will never,or in any case seldom, occur with all teat cups simultaneously, a fallenteat cup is retracted into the safe environment of the carriage, whilethe other teat cups can continue milking the relevant quarters of theudder of for instance a cow. Once a fallen teat cup has been retractedinto the engaging means of the holder, the milking robot can beinstructed to rearrange the teat cup on the teats from which it hasfallen. This is a choice based on the consideration of whether milk canstill be expected from the relevant quarter and so on. This embodimentis favourable in that the milking robot does not need here to search forthe fallen teat cup on the parlour floor, but that the teat cup can befound with certainty in the engaging means of the displaceable carriageof the holder.

In a further favourable embodiment the holder and the apparatus have thefeature that the guard comprises a cleaning unit for cleaning the teatcups in the first position of the carriage. After cleaning of the teatcups in the first position, the guard ensures that, after cleaning, theteat cups cannot be fouled again, for instance by excrement from ananimal for milking, such as a cow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As already stated above, the present invention comprises both anapparatus for milking livestock and in particular a holder used hereinfor receiving teat cups. The invention will be further elucidated on thebasis of the description following hereinbelow which is related to theannexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus with a holder for teatcups, both according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a partly cut-away perspective view of a holder from anapparatus, both according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 2 in a differentsituation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 with a holder 2 for receiving teat cupstherein, both according to the present invention. Apparatus 1 furthercomprises a milking robot 3, wherein holder 2 and milking robot 3 areboth disposed in the vicinity of a milking parlour 4. A cow 5 formilking is placed in milking parlour 4, whereafter the milking robot 3removes teat cups 6 from holder 2 in order to arrange them on the teatsof the udder of a cow 5.

As is also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, holder 2 comprises a carriage 7 withengaging means designed as passages 8 for engaging teat cups 6. As shownin FIG. 1, it is possible with milking robot 3 to take teat cups 6 outof the passages 8 so as to place them on the teats of the udder of a cow5. The location of the teat cups can thus be very readily defined, sothat milking robot 3 can find them immediately.

Holder 2 further comprises a guard designed as a plate 9, whereincarriage 7 with teat cups 6 engaged by the engaging means can beretracted behind plate 9 when using displacing means designed as acylinder 10. In the situation shown in FIG. 2 with the carriage 7retracted behind plate 9, teat cups 6 are protected against the harmfulinfluences in a milking parlour 4, such as kicking by the animals formilking, and excrement. In the context of the present description thissituation is designated as the first position, while the second positionof carriage 7, in which the teat cups 6 are released for removal bymilking robot 3, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

In an embodiment such as that shown in the drawings, it is advantageouswhen carriage 7 consists of two parts which are coupled for tilting on apivot point 11. The upper part of carriage 7 in the figures is onlymovable up and downward under the influence of cylinder 10, while thelower part of carriage 7 in the figures is tiltable on pivot point 11relative to the upper part of carriage 7 under the influence of anothercylinder 12. The teat cups are thus carried closer to the udder of a cow5 for milking, and also closer to the milking robot on the opposite sideof milking box 4, so that the reach required of milking robot 3 can bereduced, and the length of the hoses 13 connected to teat cups 6 can bekept to a minimum.

Hoses 13 are each trained round two wheels 14, 15. One of these wheels14 is stationary in carriage 7, while the other wheel 15 is suspendedfrom a cylinder 16. By driving cylinders 16 to make them shorter, i.e.to retract the pistons into the cylinder housings, a length of the hoses13 can each be taken up separately.

Preferably connected to hoses 13 are flow sensors which detect whether amilk flow is still running through the relevant conduit 13. If this isnot the case for one of the conduits 13, it can be concluded that anassociated teat cup 6 has fallen off or been kicked off, or that theassociated quarter from which this teat cup 6 is suspended is empty. Therelevant teat cup 6 can in any case be retracted into the passage 8 incarriage 7 so as to prevent damage or fouling of teat cup 6, since itwould otherwise remain lying on the floor of milking parlour 4. For thispurpose the relevant cylinder 16 is therefore set into operation toshorten the hose 13 associated with the teat cup 6 which has fallen offor finished milking in order to retract this teat cup 6. The cylinders16 together with wheels 14, 15 and the manner in which hoses 13 aretrained round these wheels 14, 15 thus form tensioning means forretracting teat cups 6.

It is noted that the flow sensors are not shown, but that each of thehoses 13, or in any case those of the hoses 13 intended for discharge ofmilked milk, are provided with such a flow sensor. It is thus possibleto retract each of the teat cups 6 individually to carriage 7 using thetensioning means.

It is further the case that the plate 9 forming a guard is also providedwith a cleaning unit formed by caps 17, to which for instance water andair conduits run for the purpose of spraying clean respectively blowingdry the teat cups 6 in the first position of carriage 7 when it isretracted behind plate 9 and where both teat cups are located in thevicinity of caps 17. Alternatively, caps 17 can form a collector forcleaning liquid which is pushed from the other side through hoses 13,and therefore through teat cups 6, in order to clean teat cups 6. Theouter end of teat cups 6 for attaching to the teats of an udder of a cowthen forms an exit for this cleaning liquid, which is collected by caps17.

It is noted once again that the first position of carriage 7, retractedbehind the guard designed as plate 9, is shown in FIG. 2, while thesecond position of carriage 7, in which the teat cups are released forremoval by the milking robot, is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows clearlythat the outer ends of teat cups 6 are directed toward caps 17 so as toform, in combination, cleaning means.

Within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appendedclaims, many additional and alternative embodiments are possible, whichmust all be deemed as lying within the scope of protection of thepresent invention. It is thus possible for the tensioning means to bedesigned in any random manner other than with the cylinders 16explicitly shown and described in the figures, for instance using anumber of drums corresponding with the number of hoses 13, wherein eachof the hoses is trained round one of the drums. The drums can be drivenin a rotating movement, wherein the relevant associated hose 13 can berolled up round the drum in order to thus retract the associated teatcup on the other outer end thereof.

Carriage 7 can also be designed in many alternative ways. Instead of thetwo-part configuration explicitly shown and described with reference tothe figures, use can thus be made of a curved construction which cancarry the teat cups into closer proximity to the teats of an udder of acow for milking and to the milking robot with a single movement alongthe curve of the construction. In the explicitly shown and describedconstruction the tilting movement with cylinder 12 on pivot point 11 canalready begin as soon as the lower, tiltable part of carriage 7 is clearof the guard designed as plate 9. It is not therefore necessary to waituntil carriage 7 as a whole has reached the fully downward movedposition, which can result in time being gained. It is further possiblefor teat cups 6 to be pressed against caps 17 in the first position ofthe carriage by also causing in this first position of carriage 7 atilting movement of the lower part of carriage 7 on pivot point 11 usingcylinder 12. This has the advantage that during cleaning, and alsothereafter, the teat cup 6, and in any case the interior of these teatcups, is protected with even greater certainty against adverse, possiblyhygienically harmful influences from outside. Although the cylinder 10for vertical movement of carriage 7 between the first position and thesecond position is shown on the front side of holder 2 in the figures,it can alternatively also be mounted upside down on the top of thecarriage, or behind carriage 7. Further alternative and additionalembodiments of the holder in particular and more generally the apparatusaccording to the present invention will also occur to the skilled personafter examination of the foregoing.

1. An apparatus for milking livestock, comprising a milking box; amilking robot disposed close to or in the milking box; and a holder forreceiving therein teat cups which during use are arranged on an animalfor milking by the milking robot, wherein the holder comprises: a guard;a carriage with engaging means for engaging the teat cups and withdisplacing means for displacing the carriage between a first position,in which at least the teat cups are protected by the guard in thesituation engaged by the carriage, and a second position, in which theteat cups are released for removal by the milking robot.
 2. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage is movable in thedirection of the milking robot in the second position or at least priorto reaching the second position.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2,wherein the carriage is tiltable in or close to the second position. 4.The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flow sensor measuring themilk flow through a conduit is arranged connected to conduits runningfrom the teat cups.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein theconduits comprise tensioning means for retracting the teat cups into theengaging means of the carriage if it is established that at least hardlyany milk is running through the conduit.
 6. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the guard comprises a cleaning unit for cleaning theteat cups in the first position of the carriage.
 7. A holder forreceiving teat cups therein and for use in an apparatus for milkinglivestock, comprising a milking box; a milking robot disposed close toor in the milking box; and a holder for receiving therein teat cupswhich during use are arranged on an animal for milking by the milkingrobot, wherein the holder comprises: a guard; a carriage with engagingmeans for engaging the teat cups and with displacing means fordisplacing the carriage between a first position, in which at least theteat cups are protected by the guard in the situation engaged by thecarriage, and a second position, in which the teat cups are released forremoval by the milking robot.